However, some people have verified that the statement of "Four Wonder Books" should have been established in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Li Yu once said in the preface to Zuitang's publication Romance of the Three Kingdoms: "Feng Menglong also has four wonderful books, namely, The Three Kingdoms, The Water Margin, Westward Journey and Jin Ping Mei. ..... "It can be seen that by the end of the Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty, Feng Menglong had formulated the four fantastic books, Li Yucheng said, and published them as the" first fantastic book "in the Three Kingdoms, so the formulation of the" four fantastic books "had been quite fixed and popular. But in any case, the expression "Four Wonder Books" is the original expression of "Four Great Classical Novels", which should be confirmed.
Four Great Classical Novels is now recognized as The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, The Water Margin, The Journey to the West and A Dream of Red Mansions. Others believe that Ulysses, Memories of Gone Years and Lolita are the three classic literary masterpieces of the 2th century.
Four Great Classical Novels is a precious cultural heritage shared by China and even all mankind, which has a far-reaching influence in the whole Chinese world. Mao Zedong once said, "Be a Zhong Mou, make friends like Luda, have confidence like Tang Priest, and study in Four Great Classical Novels." Studying China and Four Great Classical Novels is a sea of wisdom for browsing China's classical literature, and also a knowledge base for experiencing China's traditional humanities, society, ethics, history, geography, folk customs, psychology and handling strategies.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Author: (late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty) Luo Guanzhong
Full name: Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms
*** 12 times
Introduction of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms: written according to Chen Shou's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as well as Fan Ye's History of the Later Han Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty's Tales of the Three Kingdoms and some folklore. At present, the Ming Jiajing edition is the earliest, which is divided into 24 volumes and 24 articles. In the early Qing Dynasty, Mao Zonggang made some modifications, which became the current 12 copies.
the romance of the three kingdoms begins with Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's three sworn relationships in Taoyuan, and ends with Wang Junping Wu. It describes the military and political struggles between Wei, Shu and Wu in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. The characters are simple, the characters are profound, the plot is tortuous and the structure is grand.
At the end of Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of Ming Dynasty, China's novel creation entered a new period, especially Zhang Hui-style novels entered a stage of perfection. China's first classical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which has the widest spread, the deepest influence, the highest achievement and the greatest boldness of vision, was born and became popular in the world through the pen of Luo Guanzhong, an outstanding novelist who lived in this historical period. He has made great and indelible achievements in the history of Chinese literature development. At the same time, it has added brilliant brilliance to the treasure house of world literature.
Luo Guanzhong (133-14), whose name was Hu Hai San Ren, was a popular novelist in Ming Dynasty. His native place is Taiyuan (present-day Shanxi) and Qiantang (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang), so it is not certain. According to legend, Luo Guanzhong once served as a screen guest of Zhang Shicheng, a peasant uprising army at the end of Yuan Dynasty. In addition to the Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he also wrote popular novels such as Biography of Sui and Tang Dynasties and dramas such as The Meeting of Dragon and Tiger of Zhao Taizu. In addition, quite a few people think that the last thirty chapters of Water Margin are also his works.
Water Margin
Also known as loyalty to the Water Margin
Author: (late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty) Shi Naian, Luo Guanzhong
Ming Gaoru's "Hundred Rivers Records" recorded what he saw, and the former was "the book of Qiantang Shi Naian, edited by Luo Guanzhong". Hu Yinglin's "Brush Collection in Shaoshi Mountain Room" is attributed to Shi Naian, while Wang Qi's "A General Examination of Continued Documents" is attributed to Luo Guanzhong.
Introduction to Water Margin: The author created it on the basis of The Legacy of Xuanhe and related scripts and stories. With the description of peasant wars as the main theme, the book created Liangshan heroes such as likui jy, Wu Song, Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen, and revealed the social contradictions at that time. The story is tortuous, the language is vivid, and the characters are distinctive, which has high artistic achievements.
water margin version: in the spread of water margin, there are many different books. What we see now are mainly 1 copies, 12 copies and 7 copies. After 1 times, there were plots such as "collecting Liao" and suppressing Fang La uprising; 12 copies added the plot of suppressing Tian Hu and Wang Qing. Later, Jin Shengtan deleted this book, and removed the wooing and later events, which was called 7 chapters (actually 71 chapters).
There is a family named Shi in Shijiaxiang, north of Huaixu Bridge, outside the city gate of Suzhou, which is a descendant of Shi Zhichang, one of the seventy-two disciples of Confucius. The father who spread this branch to Shi Naian is the 14th. In the second year of Yuan Chengzong Yuanzhen (AD 1296), a male was added to the family. An old scholar named the baby Yan Duan, which means that when the child grows up, he must be a well-behaved genius. This swaddling Yan Duan is Shi Naian, who later wrote the historic masterpiece Water Margin. When Shi Naian was seven years old, his family was poor and he couldn't go to school. But he is smart and eager to learn, often borrows books, asks his neighbors to teach him, and sometimes goes to the university to attend. In this way, he read many books, such as The University, The Analects of Confucius, Poems and Rites. At the age of 13, I was able to answer questions in public and write beautifully. Once, an old neighbor died of illness, and Ji Xiucai, who taught private school in Xushuguan, was invited to write a eulogy. When Ji Xiucai failed to arrive in time, others suggested that Yanduan try. Nai-an's youthful spirit, wanting to show his talents, did not give in, and came over and waved his hand. Later, Ji Xiucai read this eulogy, which is both childish and brilliant, and praised it. Offered to take Shi Naian to study at Hushuguan without tuition. Later, he betrothed his daughter to Shi Naian. Shi Naian studied hard in Hushuguan. He not only familiarized himself with hundred schools of thought, but also browsed all kinds of books. At that time, The Legacy of Xuanhe in the Great Song Dynasty, which told stories such as "Classical outsmarted Yan Poxi", "Song Jiang killed" and "Yang Zhi sold knives", aroused Shi Naian's interest, and he often read in his spare time. I also danced knives and sticks with my friends and practiced martial arts. At that time, the city of Suzhou often rapped some scripts and zaju such as Stone Sun Li, Green-faced Beast, Flower Monk, Warrior, Yan Qing's Fish Fighting in Tongleyuan, likui jy's Negative Jing, etc. Shi Naian sometimes went to amuse himself and showed admiration for these "heroic heroes" and "lofty heroes".
The Journey to the West
Author: (Ming) Wu Cheng'en
*** One hundred times
Introduction to Journey to the West: Journey to the West is based on the legendary story of Tang Priest's Buddhist scriptures, related scripts and zaju (written by Yang Ne in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty). Seven times before the Journey to the West, the Monkey King was born, and there were stories about making a scene in Heaven. After that, he wrote the story of the Monkey King following the Tang Priest to learn from the West, exorcising demons and conquering difficulties along the way. The images of Tang Priest, the Monkey King, Pig Bajie and Friar Sand in the book are vivid, large in scale and complete in structure.
Wu Cheng'en (about 154-1582), whose name was Ruzhong, was born in Sheyang Mountain and was born in Huai 'an, Jiangsu. Wu Cheng'en didn't get a one-year-old tribute student until he was about 4 years old. He went to Beijing to wait for the allocation of official positions, but he was not selected. Because his mother was poor, he went to work as a county magistrate in Changxing, and eventually he was falsely accused. Two years later, he left home. In his later years, he made a living by selling essays, and he lived for nearly 8 years.
A Dream of Red Mansions
Original name: Stone Story
Author: (Qing) Cao Xueqin
A Dream of Red Mansions has 12 chapters, the first 8 of which were written by Cao Xueqin, and the last 4 were generally thought to be written by Gao E. Cao Zuo's Eighty Chapters were circulated in the form of manuscripts in the process of writing and revising. In the fifty years of Qianlong (1791), Cheng Weiyuan printed the first eighty chapters and the last forty chapters in movable type, and since then, one hundred and twenty chapters have become popular. But the words in the first eighty chapters have been changed.
Introduction to A Dream of Red Mansions: A Dream of Red Mansions was written in the Qing Dynasty in the middle of the 18th century. It is based on the love tragedy of Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, and focuses on the whole process of Jia Jiarong's government and Ningguo's government from prosperity to decline. The language of the works is beautiful and vivid, and he is good at portraying characters, and has created such distinctive characters as Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, Wang Xifeng, Xue Baochai and You Sanjie. This book is large in scale and rigorous in structure, with high artistic achievements.
Cao Xueqin, a novelist in China in the Qing Dynasty, was born in 1715 and died in 1763. Its predecessor was the Han nationality, and later it was Manchu Zhengcao Xueqin's white flag coating (domestic slave). Cao Xueqin's great-grandfather Cao Xi, his grandfather Cao Yin, and his parents' Cao Qing and Cao Fu successively served as Jiangning weavers for more than 6 years, which was highly prized by Emperor Kangxi. Cao Xueqin grew up in splendor. In the early years of Yongzheng, because of the internal struggle of the feudal ruling class, the Cao family suffered many blows, Cao Fu was dismissed and imprisoned, his family property was confiscated, and his family moved back to Beijing. Since then, his family has been declining. This turning point made Cao Xueqin deeply feel the coldness of the world and more clearly understood the essence of the feudal social system. From then on, he lived in poverty. He was good at poetry and painting, and was good at writing. He devoted himself to writing and revising the novel A Dream of Red Mansions with perseverance. He read it for 1 years, added and deleted it five times, and wrote this literary masterpiece that pushed China's classical novel creation to the peak. A Dream of Red Mansions has become a great realistic work in China's classical novels with its rich content, tortuous plot, profound ideological understanding and exquisite artistic techniques. In the 27th year of Qianlong (1762), the youngest son died prematurely, and Cao Xueqin fell into excessive sadness and grief. On New Year's Eve of this year (February 1, 1764), he died of poverty and illness (there are two versions about the year of Cao Xueqin's death: 28th and 29th years of Qianlong), and the burial expenses were funded by friends.
synopsis of The Journey to the West's story
(China) written by Wu Cheng'en in Ming Dynasty
● The first time
the spiritual root was conceived, and the mind was cultivated, and the road was born.
There was a flower and fruit mountain in the sea of, and a stone monkey was born on the mountain. The stone monkey found a cave named "water curtain cave" at the source of the Jianshui where he lived, and was acclaimed as king by many monkeys. After another 35 years, the stone monkey suddenly lamented that life was impermanent and he could not live long. According to the advice of an old monkey, the stone monkey went to Xi Niu He Zhou through Nan Shan Xun Zhou, went up to the square inch mountain of Lingtai, entered the Sanxing Cave of Xieyue, and met the founder of Bodhi. He was accepted as a disciple and named the Monkey King.
● The second time
It's wonderful to realize Bodhi
Breaking the magic and returning to the original Yuan God
Wukong learned the way of longevity, seventy-two changes and "somersault cloud" from his ancestors. One day, Wukong was provoked by people and turned into a pine tree, which caused his ancestors to be unhappy and was expelled from the cave. Go back to Huaguo Mountain, fight with the mountain demon to win, and bring back the captive monkeys and articles.
● The third time
All the four seas and Qian Shan are arched
Nine secluded places and ten categories are all removed from the list
Wukong made the photographer move the weapons in the Aolai Treasury Museum into the mountains and perform a group of monkeys. Demons and beasts in the mountains worship Wukong in succession. Wukong asked the Dragon King for a golden cudgel weighing 13,5 Jin. Tick off the name of the monkey genus in the book of life and death in the underworld. The Dragon King and the Yan King show the Jade Emperor, please subdue the demon monkey. The Jade Emperor sent Taibai Venus to Huaguo Mountain to woo Wukong.
● For the fourth time,
What is the official's intention to win the horse?
Note that Heaven is not peaceful.
Wukong was given the title of "winning the horse's temperature". He learned that this official was the last rank and returned to Huaguoshan. The Jade Emperor ordered King Tota Li Tian and his son Prince Nezha to capture Wukong. Defeated by Wukong. Venus once again attracted Wukong. The Jade Emperor ordered to build the Great Sage Mansion in Qitian, where Wukong lived.
● The fifth time
The Great Sage who messed up the flat peaches stole the Dan
Against the gods of Heaven to catch monsters
Wukong managed the flat peach garden and ate all the big peaches in it. Go to Yaochi again and drink all the fairy wine; Eat up the golden elixir in the gourd of Taishang Laojun. Flee back to Huaguo Mountain. The Jade Emperor ordered King Tota to lead the heavenly soldiers to capture Wukong. Wukong beat back the gods.
● The sixth time
Guanyin went to the meeting to ask the reason
The little sage surrendered to the great sage
Mu Cha, a disciple of Nanhai Guanyin, helped the heavenly king and was defeated. Guanyin also recommended Erlang God. Erlang God fought against Wukong, and the old gentleman watched the battle in the sky, dropped the King Kong sleeve and hit Wukong. The gods escorted him back to the upper bound. The Jade Emperor issued a decree to be executed.
● The seventh time
The Great Sage escaped from the Eight Diagrams Furnace
Wuxing Mountain made up his mind to be an ape
Tai Shang Lao Jun put Wukong into an alchemy furnace for burning. Forty-nine days later, Wukong came out and made a scene in Heaven. The Jade Emperor invited the Tathagata. The Monkey King did a somersault all the way, but he couldn't jump out of the Buddha's palm. The Tathagata turned his five fingers into mountains and pinned Wukong down. Ordered the earth god to feed Wukong with iron pills and copper juice.
● The eighth time
My Buddha made sutras and preached bliss
Five hundred years after Guanyin went to Chang 'an
, the Tathagata wanted to find a disciple to learn from, so that Buddhism could be spread to the East forever. Guanyin led Mu Cha, took the cassock, xizhang and three hoops, Jin, Jin and Jin, and drove to the cloud. Along the way, Sha Wujing, Zhu Wuneng and Xiaobailong were collected; Advise the Monkey King, let them * * * protect the scriptures.
Appendix
Chen Guangrui went to his post in case of disaster
Revenge Report of the Monk in the River
Chen Guangrui was chosen as the champion in the middle school, recruited as the son-in-law of the Prime Minister, and was appointed as the owner of Jiangzhou Prefecture. On his way to office, Liu Hong, a boatman, was killed, his wife was robbed, and Liu Hong risked his life to take up his post. Chen was saved by the Dragon King and put in the Dragon Palace. His wife and children were thrown into the river. Rescued by the elders of Jinshan Temple; It was named Jiangliu, and later it was named Xuanzang. The elders told him about his life. Xuanzang found his mother. Go back to the capital and seek redress from my ancestors. Liu hong was executed by
. Chen Guangrui returns to Yang. Xuanzang entered Hongfu Temple to continue his practice.
● The ninth time
Yuan Shoucheng's ingenious selfless song
The old dragon king's clumsy plan broke the dogma
The King of Jinghe changed the rainfall into Chen privately in order to make Yuan Shoucheng's prediction fail. And destroyed Yuan Shoucheng Guapu with the loss of accuracy. Yuan Shoucheng asserted that the Dragon King would be beheaded by Wei Zhi, the Prime Minister of Tang Dynasty, for violating the decree. And let the dragon king seek a way to survive from Emperor Taizong. Emperor Taizong's Dream Dragon King interceded, promised it, and ordered Wei Zhi to serve in the court so that he could not slay the dragon.
● The tenth time
The ghost of Gongmen Town, the second general
Emperor Taizong returned to the underworld
When Wei Zhi and Emperor Taizong played a game, they dreamed of killing the old dragon. That night, Emperor Taizong dreamed that the Dragon King would die, and since then he has been physically and mentally uneasy and sick. In order to prevent sneaking, he made Weichi Gong and Qin Shubao stay at the palace gate at night. Emperor Taizong died soon, and met Wei Zhi's old friend in the underworld, Cui Jue, who is now the judge of the underworld. Cui Jue added 2 years to Taizong's life. On the way back to Yang, Emperor Taizong was pestered by ghosts and gave away gold and silver to the ghosts.
● The eleventh time
I was also born by the Tang King, who followed the good fruit
Xiao Wang+Yu Zheng, an empty door
Emperor Taizong came back to life, went to the DPRK and declared an amnesty for the world, and it was forbidden to destroy monks and slander Buddha. Everyone elected Chen Xuanzang to preside over the land and water conference, and Taizong made it.
● The 12th Session
Xuanzang's Sincere Construction Conference
The phoenix sound turned into a golden cicada
Guanyin Bodhisattva became a wandering monk and presented xizhang's cassock to Taizong. Emperor Taizong gave it to Xuanzang. Guanyin came to power to tell Xuanzang the beauty of Mahayana Buddhism. Xuanzang wanted to go to the Western Heaven, and Taizong named him "the holy monk of the Imperial Brother" and gave him the title "Sanzang". Sanzang's Tang Priest went through the customs.
● The 13th time
Trapped in the tiger's den, Venus relieved the city
The monk from Birqin in Shuangqialing
The Tang Priest rode westward. Shanbiancheng